


According To Plan

by MarcelinaRose



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta/Omega, Established Relationship, Family Issues, M/M, Mpreg, Murder, Omegaverse, Poisoning, Secret Relationship, Smut, Sneaking Around, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-01-04 18:02:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18348860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcelinaRose/pseuds/MarcelinaRose
Summary: Ventus is nervously anticipating the small party Terra is holding at their home. But unknown to the alpha, Ventus has plans to get him out of the picture out of revenge for being unfaithful with the help of the person that Terra is cheating on him with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story started out as an assignment for my Creative Writing class (albeit without the smut), and it just turned into a VaniVen fanfiction. This was also slightly inspired by the game Clue as well as an old French horror movie I watched last year. Without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter 1

“I’ll be back in time for the party tonight. Wait for me here.” With a loving gaze, Terra kissed the shorter blonde sweetly, followed by his cheerful smile with lit eyes, before closing the front door behind him. Once there was silence, Ventus’s smile faded the twinkle in his eyes disappeared, and he turned on his heel away from the main hall and proceeded to make his way into the lounge. His gaze lowered to the ground in his way with furrowed brows, deep in thought about what might transpire that evening if something went wrong.

Ventus had been married to Terra for the past seven years, an occasion that only he was particularly happy about when it began. It was an arranged marriage by both of their fathers to ensure their lineages continue, and both parents were aware that the blonde omega was completely infatuated by the brunette alpha. When Ventus found out about the news, he was ecstatic and considered his wedding night to be one of his happiest moments.

However, after three years, Ventus had realized the two of them had spent more time apart than together the longer the marriage went on: they weren’t waking up together, Terra wouldn’t comfort the blonde when he needed him, and the amount of sex in their lives had decreased. In fact, Terra seemed to avoid any sort of sex when it came to an alpha’s or omega’s needs, denying the blonde’s assistance when it came to his ruts and being nowhere near Ventus when his heats began. At first, Ventus thought he didn’t think he was ready for children, but dismissed the thought immediately when he saw that Terra was actively avoiding him when he went into heat and disappearing to who knows where until his heat was over.

It wasn’t until a year and a half later when Ventus found out the truth. He heard a rumor from a friend of his that Terra was unfaithful and was going out with someone else. Ventus first didn’t want to believe him, but remained skeptical, watching the alpha’s every move, until seeing Terra practically make out with a beta a few days later. The blonde was distraught, and he had continuously cried until he had managed to calm down to think of how to handle the situation and wondering how much the supposed beta knew.

Entering the lounge, he glanced around to make sure no one else was in the room before walking towards the empty fireplace. He bent down, took another look around the room, and gently knocked on the edge of the fireplace. He took a step back and paused. A moment later, the fireplace pulled itself out of the wall halfway, revealing a spiky-haired ravenette with yellow eyes peering at him from behind it. “Is he gone?” He asked quietly.

“He just left, Vanitas.”

Vanitas crawled out of the wall and rearranged the fireplace back in its spot and turning back to the blonde with a smile. The light in Ventus’s eyes returned as he led the ravenette towards the coffee table where a small list sat in the middle. “Let’s make sure the right people are on the list.” The ravenette muttered with a grin.

Both men were surprised to get along rather well despite their first encounter. Ventus had almost yelled at him for seducing the brunette before Vanitas explained he had no idea the alpha was married. After talking, the two came to the conclusion they were both being played, and instead of being against each other, they decided to work together to see how they could get revenge on the alpha for lying to both of them.

However, what neither of them expected was to fall out of love with Terra and in love with each other.

Ventus had to admit, when they weren’t planning a revenge plot, the beta was nice company to be around. Sometimes, they would meet only to have a nice conversation and walk around town. His feelings made themselves known during a drunken encounter one night when Vanitas had kissed him gently, and to both of their surprise, Ventus kissed back, and both men were thankful it wasn’t anything more.

“Let’s see. My twin and his mate will be there. My parents as well,” Ventus listed off the guests with half-lid eyes as Vanitas peered over his shoulder. “Your brother and mate-in-law will be there too as well as Terra’s family.”

“Xehanort Jr. and his mate will be there,” The ravenette counted off how many people were on the list before pulling away. “That’s 11. We just need to make sure they’re in the right place.”

“That will be difficult with Ansem and Xemnas. They’re hard to track,” Ventus crossed his arms with pursed lips. “Terra told me they’re not fond of him, which is good for us since we were planning on framing them anyway.”

“This will just make our job easier.”

“We need to watch them though.”

“I’m not saying we’re not,” Vanitas pecked his cheek with a grin, and the blonde couldn’t help but giggle. Ventus then leaned forward to press their lips together in a soft kiss. The ravenette had barely cupped his cheeks as a response before pulling away with furrowed brows and a slight glare. “You smell like him.”

It took Ventus until that moment to realize he was wearing one of Terra’s hoodies, and he glanced down at the baggy clothing with half-lid eyes. “If I don’t, he’ll be suspicious of me, and that won’t look good for either of us.”

“I kinda find all of this funny,” Vanitas leaned back in his seat and placed his hands behind his head. “He doesn’t know that we know each other, and he sure as hell doesn’t know that you’re cheating on him with me when it started out the other way around.”

“I almost yelled at you when we met.”

“And I was telling the truth when I said I didn’t know he was married,” The ravenette gave him a soft look to show he was being truthful, and his gaze never left the blonde’s as he continued to speak. “If I knew he was married, I wouldn’t have gone through with it. He never had a ring on his finger throughout all of the times we met up, and he kept saying he was single. Believe me when I say the ring would have been a red flag and I would have backed off.”

“I believe you,” Ventus brought one of his hands to his lips and kissed his knuckles gently before glancing back at the list. “I’m just hoping this night goes well.”

“It will,” Vanitas reassured while having a comforting grip on his hand. “And when it does, you’ll be free. We’ll be free.”

Ventus liked the sound of that word. _Free_. The word never sounded so right before, but after four years, he had no other way to describe it. He was a bit ashamed for taking the entire marriage to realize only one of them was putting effort into it while the other gave off different signals. On one hand, Terra tended to complain about every small detail about the blonde from his unruly hair to the pheromones he released whenever he went into heat, and every time he did, Ventus would do what he could to make the alpha happy, and he began to think he wasn’t good enough for him. On the other hand, Terra also didn’t seem to care where Ventus would run off to, giving a mere shrug whenever the omega mentioned going out with friends and never questioning how long he was away.

Since starting his relationship with Vanitas, there was always a voice in the back of his head telling him to simply divorce Terra and forget about him. But he had always refused every time the thought came to him: Ventus had hated the thought of disappointing his father, and he knew for a fact if he divorced Terra, everything would go to his family and leave him without a cent. Terra’s father also seemed to have more of a soft side for the brunette than his other children, so anything the alpha said was believed to be the truth, and he wouldn’t be convinced otherwise.

He was almost taken off guard when Vanitas tugged him into another kiss, this time placing the omega in his lap for more physical contact. Ventus grabbed handfuls of black locks while feeling a pair of hands grip the back of his thighs and lowering him onto the couch. The blonde responded by wrapping his legs around the beta’s waist and it resulted in the ravenette slowly rolling his hips against him. Vanitas grabbed the jacket and began to tug at it. “This needs to go.” He growled.

“But what about when Terra comes back?”

“You can put it back on when we’re done. But right now, I want to hold you.”

Ventus sighed and tilted his head back as he felt kisses being peppered across his jawline and neck and fingers digging into his skin. He grabbed onto the beta’s shirt to pull him up to crash their lips together again once the heat pooling in his stomach made itself known. He shuddered when Vanitas’s fingers began trailing up his back to grab his shoulders from under his clothes and felt a firm warmth pressing into his own need through the black pants grinding into him. However, Ventus was still sane enough to remember where exactly they were as he reluctantly pulled away, causing Vanitas to bend down under his shirt and press kisses along his torso. Ventus had to grab his shoulders in an attempt to make him stop. “S-Secret Place,” He blurted out with a moan as he struggled to catch his breath. “Let’s go to the Secret Place. No one will find us there.”

To his relief and disappointment, Vanitas pulled away, and Ventus almost melted at the lustful gaze that rested in his eyes as he unwrapped his legs to let the ravenette sit up completely. The erection that sat in his jeans made the blonde’s mouth water, and he had to stop himself from drooling. Vanitas smirked and pulled the blonde from the couch and onto his feet before allowing him to lead the way back into the fireplace passageway and out of the lounge.

 

~

 

Ventus glanced in the mirror and attempted to smooth out the spikes in his hair so they wouldn’t look all over the place. He brushed off his clothes and nodded to himself with a slight smile. Relaxing his shoulders, he released a quiet sigh before feeling arms wrap around his waist from behind. “You look nice for once,” He heard his alpha mutter behind him, and his smile faded as a result. The blonde felt kisses trailed along the wide of his neck, but it did little to comfort him. “You know I love you, don’t you?” Ventus didn’t find comfort in those words either, no matter how sincere Terra had said them; he knew it wasn’t true.

He was spun around and felt Terra’s lips against his own and Terra’s hands on his hips. Unfortunately, he had no choice other than to kiss him back in order to not raise suspicion, grabbing his shoulders tightly as one of the alpha’s hands held the back of his head while the other placed itself on the curve of his back. “Let me show you how much I love you,” Ventus’s eyes widened when he felt Terra’s hand dip into the back of his pants, underneath his boxers and trailing down to press a finger against, if not to insert into, his hole. Terra lifted an eyebrow in confusion and glanced at the omega in question. “That’s strange. Why are you so loose?”

Panic skyrocketed in Ventus’s chest as his heart sank, and his knees buckled when he felt that same finger dip slowly into him. Grabbing onto the brunette tighter, he breathed out a moan as he frantically thought of an excuse to give him. “I-I was lonely!” He spat out in almost a shout as he almost collapsed into the alpha’s arms, cursing his body for wanting more if not another finger. “I-I was horny, and I didn’t want to bother you, so I-I took care of myself for a bit.” He was mentally screaming at the heat pooling his lower regions as it was reminded of the pleasure it received hours earlier.

His hips unconsciously gently rocked into Terra’s thigh as he was pressed against the wall. “If you want me, then you can have me right now.”

Terra kissed the blonde again and sunk his finger in deeper, causing Ventus to cry out a moan and shudder. The blonde pulled away and the alpha’s tongue trailed along his jawline. “W-We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Y-You’re family is waiting.”

“But didn’t you say you were lonely?” Terra nibbled his ear while his hand cupped the blonde’s erection and squeezed it, earning a squeal out of the blonde. “They have time. Indulge me for once.”

Ventus shuddered once again and gazed into the brunette’s eyes with flushed cheeks and swollen lips. Continuing to be sexual with Terra while in a relationship with Vanitas made the omega sick with nausea. Despite losing his romantic feelings for the brunette, it still made Ventus uncomfortable playing with someone’s feelings whether or not their feelings towards him were positive.

Ventus saw love in the alpha’s eyes and knew for a fact it wasn’t real, and it just made him feel worse. But he also knew resisting the brunette would only end up with the alpha forcing himself onto the blonde and claiming it was what he wanted. The omega sighed and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “Be gentle, okay?”

Terra nodded and kissed him again, softer this time, while slowly massaging the bulge in his pants. Ventus moaned softly and prayed his family wasn’t already waiting for them. As much as he hated it, he told himself to pull through because it would all be over sooner or later.

After all, Terra won’t be alive by the time the night is over.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ventus tried to ignore the pain in his lower back as he walked with Terra to the front doors, a slight glare being aimed towards the alpha for his roughness. He slightly limped to the brunette’s side, scowling at him before opening the door to reveal their guests.

Ventus was almost tackled by a spiky-haired omega who wore a striking resemblance to Vanitas, but instead had brown hair and blue eyes. Behind him was a tall alpha with short, silver hair and piercing green eyes who had to pull him back from sending them both to the floor. “Sora, Riku, it’s good to see you two.”

“It’s good to be here,” Sora piped up happily with a slight bounce before leaning towards the blonde. “I brought my brother like you wanted me to. I’m glad you’re getting to meet him for the first time.”

The four of them glanced towards the door to see Vanitas step inside with a smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Ventus saw Terra slightly tense up in surprise, but didn’t say a word as he stepped forward to shake the ravenette’s hand. “Sora has told me all about you. My name is Ventus. Call me Ven.”

“Vanitas. It’s a pleasure.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Vanitas blinked in surprise as his gaze fell on the brunette, lifting an eyebrow at the sight of him as Terra stepped forward and extended his hand. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Terra, you know Vanitas?” Riku asked with crossed arms.

“We’ve. . .” The brunette trailed off and averted his gaze as he paused for a moment, thinking of how to respond. “We’ve met a couple times.”

Riku’s eyebrows lowered with a blank gaze, and Ventus saw the unconvinced look on Vanitas’s face. Sora tilted his head in confusion and glanced at the four of them, not sure why there was a slight tension in the air but decided to step in before someone made it worse. He grabbed the silverette’s arm and tugged him towards the lounge. “Come on, Ku. Let’s wait for everyone.”

“As you wish.” As the couple began to step away, Vanitas took one last look at their hosts and winked at the blonde before following his twin. Ventus turned to the alpha, the scowl on his face returning as he faced the brunette. “When did you two meet up?”

Terra tensed once again but tried to hide it from the blonde. However, Ventus wasn’t fooled and his scowl only grew at the brunette’s response. “He started up a conversation when I was at a bar some time ago, and since then, it was only a coincidence that we were in the same place,” The omega concluded that the alpha was partially telling the truth, the meeting at the bar was confirmed by Vanitas during one of their meet-ups, and knowing that he would never get the full truth out, he decided to leave it at that. Although, the face the younger man gave had caused Terra to not return his gaze, and instead turned on his heel. “I’ll keep our other guests company. You greet the rest.”

Terra scampered off, leaving Ventus alone in the main hall. He sighed before hearing a knock at the door, and stepping over quickly to see who it was. Pulling the handle, the first face he saw was his own reflection. Ventus smiled and stepped aside to allow the identical face to pass through. “I was wondering when you would arrive, Roxas.”

Roxas stepped inside the house with his usual deadpan gaze, shooting a glare towards the tall red-head who walked in behind him. “That’s the last time I’m letting you drive, Ax.”

“What did he do?” Ventus glanced at the alpha in question with a lifted eyebrow, curious as to what has his brother upset but also not being surprised to what the reason could be.

Axel raised his hands with a shrug. “You said get here before we’re considered late, so I drove here as fast as I could.”

“And I was telling him we could have made it without speeding,” Roxas huffed and crossed his arms before turning to his twin with a calmer look. “Anyway, we’re here now. Mom and Dad said something came up and they won’t be able to come. Who else is here?”

“Sora, Riku, and Vanitas. You’re the second group. Terra’s family hasn’t shown up yet.”

“That’s surprising,” Axel placed a hand on his hip and turned his head towards the front door. “I imagine them getting here before anyone else. Wonder what’s up.”

“Maybe it’s taking them longer,” Ventus shrugged before holding a hand out towards the hall. “Everyone is in the lounge if you don’t want to stand here.”

“Sure you don’t want company?” Roxas’s face turned to one of concern, taking one of his twin’s hands and gripping it. Ventus nodded and pulled away, giving the blonde omega a genuine smile. Roxas nodded in response before pulling away and leading Axel out of the main hall.

Ventus was alone once again, slowly kicking the ground and swaying with a soft hum. He had half the mind to sit with everyone and chat, but he knew it would be disrespectful to not greet his soon-to-be ex in-laws. His gaze lowered as he placed his hands behind his back, tilting his head as he continued to think of how the night could go. If anything, Ventus was less worried about the plan working and more worried about whether or not he and Vanitas can successfully frame the alpha’s brothers. Ansem and Xemnas were more cunning than their siblings, and they were quick to catch onto certain situations. If he wasn’t careful, he could have the tables turned back on him, and it wouldn’t look good.

At first, Ventus wasn’t too entirely sure if murdering Terra was the best option for him, but it seemed like the option that wouldn’t potentially ruin the rest of his life if done carefully: divorcing Terra would cost money, and he would have nothing from it because all of the divorce money goes to the alpha and his family no matter who won the case. Leaving Terra wouldn’t be a good idea either because Ventus would have no money and would have to rely on his family (while he didn’t mind relying on his family, he hated being too dependent), and he was too good-hearted to steal money from Terra to begin with. The only reason why he would turn to murder was because of promises made to him by the alpha’s father; Xehanort also had a soft side for the blonde, and promised if anything happened to Terra, whether it be murder or anything else, he would have the estate to himself along with a decent sum of money for his well-being.

In a society giving a great disadvantage to omegas, Ventus felt he had no choice.

Another knock on the door caused Ventus to snap out of thought. He quickly stepped over with a small sigh before shaking off the sour look on his face. He took in a breath before opening the door and was greeted with a familiar pair of grey eyes. The omega smiled with a tilted head. “You’re the last to arrive, Junior.”

“We didn’t mean to be so late.” The silver-haired beta replied with a chuckle before stepping aside to allow Eraqus to enter the house. As always, the omega’s hair was in a neat ponytail and was a gray color that complemented his eyes perfectly. He kept himself in a prideful manner due to being mated to one of Xehanort’s children and also due to being named after his own father, who is the elder’s best friend.

Ventus was about to speak until he noticed a scent coming from the other omega, and his gaze trailed down to Eraqus’s torso to see it slightly swollen. His eyes widened and he faced the duo with a shocked expression. “Eraqus, you’re pregnant?” Eraqus lowered his gaze with a light blush and nodded. Instantly, the blonde pulled him into a tight hug and gently squeezed him before pulling away with a grin. “I’m so happy for you two!” He almost shouted gleefully. “I know you’ve been trying for a while, but seeing that it happened makes it better,” The comment made Xehanort Jr. scratch the back of his head sheepishly as the blonde continued. “How far along are you?”

“Five months.” Ventus was a bit surprised, wondering how he had gone that long without knowing about the two, but respecting the decision regardless.

It wasn’t long before the strong scent of an alpha invaded their noses, and the three of them turned to see two older men resembling Xehanort Jr. almost identically, although they had yellow eyes instead of gray. Ventus had the temptation to shroud away, and he noticed that Eraqus’s gaze held slight fear. He took in a breath before stepping forward and extending his hand. “Xemnas, Ansem. It’s nice to see you both.”

The older alpha of the two stepped forward, the glare never leaving his face as he gripped the blonde’s hand, squeezing it briefly as he shook it. Ventus slightly winced at the pressure before shaking Ansem’s hand soon after, both of the alphas not saying a word. The blonde shifted gently and averted his gaze with silence. He looked over towards Xehanort Jr. and saw both he and Eraqus keeping their distance.

“Ventus, it is good to see you,” A raspy voice broke the silence and the blonde looked to see a bald elder slightly hunched over with a resemblance to the other silver-haired men in the room, having the same color eyes as his alpha sons, with his hands behind his back. He gently shook Ventus’s hand with a warm smile. “I take it you and Terra are well?”

“Y-Yes. We’re well,” Ventus cursed at himself for sounding unsure, but kept the smile on his face as he gestured towards the lounge. “You’re the last to arrive. Everyone is waiting.”

“I’m sorry we’re so late,” Xehanort apologized while shaking his head. “It was difficult to get everyone situated.”

“That’s alright,” Ventus slowly led him out of the main hall to join the rest of the guests. “I heard from my brother that our parents won’t be able to make it tonight. Something came up.”

“That’s unfortunate. I hope it’s nothing too serious.”

“I’ll be sure to ask them the next time I see them.”

“Make sure that you do.” Once the six of them entered the lounge, all eyes fell on the group and the other guests went silent. The air in the room transformed from pleasant into tension as Ventus examined the room quietly: Axel’s hand had tightened around his twin’s waist as Roxas held a fearful glare in his eye, Sora had been talking with his brother but immediately ran to Riku’s side and shrouding behind him with his face full of worry, Vanitas’s deadpan gaze had made itself known, and Terra’s shoulders tensed at the sight of his brothers. No one had a major problem with Xehanort’s family, although with the intimidating auras the older alpha brothers held, they had no choice but to be on edge.

Ventus decided to be brave and be the first one to speak up. “I guess this is everyone, then,” Terra lifted a confused eyebrow as a result and was about to open his mouth to speak until the blonde interrupted him. “Terra, would you mind escorting our guests to the dining hall?”

Terra pursed his lips as a result, giving the blonde a slight glare before nodding and stepping towards the entryway. “Dinner is buffet style,” He said to the group. “We thought it would be better for conversation rather than try to yell at each other from across the table.”

“That’s very thoughtful of the two of you, Terra.” His father replied before the group began to follow the alpha out of the lounge.

Ventus soon stepped after them, but was stopped by his ravenette lover by being pulled back slightly. “It’s go time.” He muttered in the blonde’s ear as Ventus felt something small being placed in his hand. He glanced at his palm and saw a small red vial resting in the middle. Vanitas made sure they were alone before grabbing the blonde’s chin and pecking his lips and pulling away quickly before anyone could see.

Ventus looked at the vial once again before stuffing it in his pocket and nodding to the ravenette before turning on his heel. “Let’s do this.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The dining hall had multiple circular tables that were covered with a variety of food, each table having a different course, and the guests were enjoying nice conversations as they ate: Sora, Roxas, and Vanitas were standing near the dessert table talking about their plans for the rest of the year, Riku and Axel were chatting with Xehanort Jr. and Eraqus while having a few drinks -Eraqus of course wasn’t drinking- and Ansem and Xemnas were near the entrance to the dining hall conversing to each other.

In a corner of the room, Ventus was at Terra’s side as he talked with his father and wanting nothing more than to get away from the conversation and join another group on the other side of the room. He didn’t care if he walked in on Ansem and Xemnas; he just wanted to be away from the brunette and whatever nonsense he told his father. He lowered his eyes and took another sip of his drink.

“Now that it’s come to mind, Ventus, haven’t the two of you ever thought of having pups?” Xehanort’s question made him choke on his champagne with a flushed face, and he jerked his head to the elder with wide eyes. Xehanort’s gaze was curious yet unsurprised at his reaction, and the smile Terra held was on the verge of a frown. The elder spoke again. “You and Terra have been married for seven years, and I find it odd that I don’t have grandchildren by now, so I would like to know why.”

Ventus had half the mind to tell his in-law that the reason was because the alpha was cheating on him, but even he didn’t know if that was true. Although, he believed the cheating was a factor. In fact, he never knew why Terra didn’t want children, and he didn’t know if he wanted to find out. His parents had asked him the same question some time ago, and he had no problem telling them that the alpha was avoiding him, so he questioned why it was harder to tell Terra’s father. Maybe it was because Xehanort expected more from the two of them than his own parents, but he didn’t quite know that himself.

“It’s because he doesn’t want me around him during his heats,” He heard Terra speak instead and his eyes widened at his response. “Every month, he tells me he doesn’t want pups because he doesn’t feel like he’s ready for them. And whenever he does let me near him, it’s not to impregnate him.”

Ventus couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he almost dropped his glass as a result. What made the lie worse was the elder was convinced of his words (at least that’s the expression he gave). Truth be told, he had to practically beg the alpha to help him through his heats, and even when he convinced him, the experience was still torturous. There wasn’t a time where he didn’t remember Terra sitting in a chair and listening to the blonde’s continuous moans about wanting a knot for hours before he got fed up with him and either gave him what he wanted or left; Ventus didn’t know what treatment he would get each month and he was more afraid of the latter.

“I see. I hope you would reconsider, Ventus,” Xehanort’s gaze was on him once again, looking more sincere than his son. “I would support you in what way I can. I’m sure your parents will as well.”

Ventus nodded in return before spotting Sora gesture him over with a smile. He quickly excused himself from the pair, greatly relieved from the conversation he was being pulled away from. He stepped towards the group, relaxing his shoulders and allowing himself to smile before his eyes widened to see that Vanitas wasn’t with his twin or Sora. He looked around to see that the ravenette had joined Axel’s conversation and had hardly batted an eye at him. Ventus almost frowned in disappointment, but turned to the other omegas before speaking. “And what are we talking about?”

“I can’t help but notice the looks between you two.” Sora piped up while placing his hands behind his back and swinging side to side with a tilted head.

Ventus grew a look of confusion and lifted an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?” He asked.

“You and Vanitas,” Roxas replied with a hand on his hip and a deadpan tone. “There’s something going on, isn’t there?” Ventus slightly froze, and he knew it caused Roxas to confirm his suspicions. He averted his eyes away from his brother and towards the floor. Roxas tended to be smarter than he looked at times, and Ventus knew it was only a matter of time before he found out he and Vanitas were together. Although, he was more fearful of his twin finding out about their plan.

Ventus took in a breath before responding. “It’s nothing. He just looks familiar, and I’m not saying that because he’s Sora’s twin.”

“Maybe you’ve met before.” Sora suggested cheerfully, and Ventus couldn’t help but nod with half-lid eyes as he softly glanced at the ravenette once again. Roxas didn’t look convinced, but crossed his arms with a sigh as he relaxed his shoulders in content.

Once dinner ended, everyone went their separate ways: Xehanort and his two eldest headed into the lounge to relax, Riku, Axel, Xehanort Jr., and Eraqus headed upstairs to play a round of pool, and Sora, Roxas, and Ventus went to the living room to chat. Ventus noticed there wasn’t a sight of Vanitas or Terra, and he started to grow worried. He knew Terra had whisked him away somewhere, and he had every intention to find out where. Ventus stood from his chair, receiving the attention of his twin and Sora. “Where are you going?” Roxas asked with a tilted head.

“I don’t see Terra anywhere, so I’m gonna go look for him.” Ventus wasn’t exactly lying, but he felt guilt rise in his chest at his words. He hated keeping up the charade and wanted to tell the two everything that had been going on for the past three years, but for some reason, the words were caught in his throat.

“Can you look for Vanitas too? He disappeared after dinner.” He nodded in response to the brunette before smiling and stepping out into the hall. His smiled dropped as he somewhat sprinted across the carpet, trying to find either of their scents and knowing that they weren’t up something good wherever they were. Ventus didn’t know if Terra thought he could get away with it or think the blonde was that oblivious. Either way, he was still irritated because Terra had the nerve to try.

“W-Wait Terra,” Ventus heard the ravenette from a doorway and realized his voice was coming from their bedroom. He felt his eye twitch as he hid behind the door to look through the hinges: Vanitas was on his back and pinned to the bed by the alpha as Terra planted kisses across his neck and pulled down his shirt to reveal more skin. “W-Who was that blonde with you?”

“Don’t worry about him.” Terra harshly bit his shoulder and Vanitas cried out as a result. The brunette slapped a hand over his mouth with a glare. “Keep quiet, will you? Why are you even here?”

“I-I didn’t know you were here. Sora invited me last minute,” Vanitas breathed out as Terra pulled up his shirt to give him more bites. “But stop ignoring my question. Who was that omega?”

“He’s no one, Vani,” The words made Ventus’s heart sink. “I asked him to be my fake mate so my father would shut up. We’re not together.”

“I see.” Ventus couldn’t see the ravenette’s face completely due to the limited sight he was given, but the noises he heard told him Terra continued his actions for another couple minutes before there was silence. All the omega could hear was the beta panting softly and he saw Terra get off of the bed and head for the door. Ventus immediately pulled away, thankful that the alpha headed in the opposite direction.

He waited until Terra was out of sight before peeking into the room to see Vanitas sitting up on the bed nursing the bite on his shoulder. The ravenette glanced at him sweetly and he gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry if you were jealous.”

“I would say I’m more uncomfortable than anything,” Ventus crossed his arms with an averted gaze, pursing his lips for a moment before looking at the beta. “We better do this now before everyone leaves,” The two of them headed towards the mirror that was against the wall. Ventus pulled it to reveal a hidden hallway, and the duo stepped inside and closed the entry behind them. “The wine cellar is this way.”

“We have to make sure we get there before someone grabs it,” Vanitas noticed the nervous look on the omega’s face and held his hand as they sped through the hall. “This will work, Ven.”

“I hope so.” They saw a light and realized they were right behind the wine rack. Vanitas handed the blonde a pair of gloves and pulled out a pair of his own. Staying in the shadows, Ventus gazed at the various bottles before spotting the flavor he was looking for: a flavor of wine only Terra would drink. Looking through the cracks to make sure no one else entered the cellar, Ventus reached for the bottle with a gloved hand, slowly pulling it towards him and making sure it didn’t slip between his fingers. He almost didn’t notice the ravenette slipping the vial out of his pocket as he opened the wine. Vanitas held the vial above the tip of the bottle before giving Ventus another glance. After a confirming nod from the omega, both of them watched the red liquid drop into the bottle slowly. After 5 drops, they quickly closed the bottle and put it back in its proper place. Vanitas closed the vial and shoved it back into his pocket before the two rushed to the nearest entrance.

In seconds, Ventus and Vanitas entered the living room, bringing the attention of both of their twins. “Where were you?” Sora asked.

“He and Terra were upstairs having a chat,” Ventus replied with a hand on his hip. “After he left, we went outside and I finally realized why Vanitas looked so familiar.”

“Turns out I saw our host here when I went out for a drink some time ago,” Vanitas smirked and ruffled the blonde’s hair. “Thought I was having déjà vu or something.”

“That would explain the looks,” Roxas said with a lifted eyebrow. “Glad you guys came inside though. The clouds don’t look pretty.”

“We saw that. We might be stuck here for a while if it storms.” The four of them heard footsteps and turned to see Xehanort Jr. standing at the doorway.

“Father wants us all in the lounge for a drink.” He said calmly, glancing at the group with crossed arms.

“Sure. We’ll be right there.” Ventus had to stop himself from looking nervous as they followed the beta down the hall. He saw Vanitas give him a comforting smile, and it made him feel a little better with how the night will turn out. He heard rain splatter against the windows, and his chest swelled with relief.

When they entered the lounge, Sora, Roxas, and Vanitas sat with their respective alphas while Ventus sat with Eraqus with a smile. “You know what would make this night better?” Terra leaned back in his seat with a smirk in Ventus’s direction, causing the omega to bite his lip and avert his gaze. “If my lovely omega would be a dear and fetch some wine for us. You know which flavor I want.”

Ventus couldn’t help but sigh as he proceeded to stand before a hand stopped him. Blinking in confusion, he glanced up to see Xemnas and Ansem looking down at him. “Stay there, Ventus. We’ll get it for you.” Xemnas instructed.

Ventus blinked in surprise before responding. “Are you sure? I could take you to the wine cellar.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Ansem replied with crossed arms. “We’ll find our way.” Before he or Terra could say anything, the two alphas exited the room quietly. Ventus saw the scowls Roxas and Vanitas gave to the brunette while Sora and Eraqus gave the blonde a concerned gaze. Riku and Axel merely avoided their gazes and Xehanort Jr kept his head lowered. Xehanort lifted an eyebrow as his eyes trailed the room, confused as to why there was tension in the room.

A couple minutes passed before the two alphas returned with two bottles of wine, one of them being the flavor the brunette asked for. Ventus nodded as a sign of thanks as he poured a glass for each of them save for Eraqus and poured Terra a separate glass. Terra stood from his seat and held out his glass with a smile, gazing at Ventus for a moment before looking back at the rest of his family. “A toast to seven years of marriage with the best mate I could ever have. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”

The words made Ventus’s heart sink despite giving the brunette a warm gaze and forcing himself to blush in response. As he took a sip of his wine, his breath slightly hitched at the sight of Terra chugging the glass contently. He slightly tensed but tried to distract himself by turning to Vanitas for comfort. Both Vanitas and Roxas gave him soothing glances as they finished their glasses, Vanitas nodding to him to assure him their plan will work.

Suddenly, Terra’s glass shattered on the hardwood flooring as he collapsed with both hands around his neck. The group quickly stood with wide eyes as his family ran to his side. “What is it, Terra!?” Xehanort’s voice held fear as the brunette began to choke and cough on the spot, sputtering incoherent nonsense that no one could understand.

Ventus ran to his side when he fell on his back and grabbed his shoulders. “Terra, can you hear me!? Terra!” He shouted in a panicked tone as he shook the alpha who began to foam at the mouth. Sora and Roxas held onto their respective mates while Eraqus shrouded behind Xehanort Jr. with a fearful gaze. Terra’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he clawed at the blonde holding onto him, leaving red marks on his arms and hands as he continued to gasp for air. His eyes twitched vigorously before freezing up. His body slumped to the floor and his hands fell from Ventus’s arms.

Thunder roared outside as the rain pelted the windows harder and silence fell over the room for a moment before Ventus let out an ear-piercing scream.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

No one had any words, not like they had anything to say regarding what they just witnessed. They only stood in silence as the rain seemed to grow louder outside, almost drowning out the sobs Ventus released. He was hunched over the brunette, hiding his face from the others and clutching onto the alpha’s shirt as tears continued to pour down his face. Xehanort’s face had paled as he held Terra’s head in his palms, shaking his head in denial.

The silence from the group was broken when Eraqus swiftly fainted from shock, and Xehanort Jr. had to catch him to keep him from falling. “Eraqus!”

“There’s no way,” Axel placed a hand over his mouth, not being able to take his eyes off of the body. “This isn’t real.”

“H-How did this happen?” Sora stammered with wide eyes while clutching onto Riku’s arm like his life depended on it. Riku, who was normally stoic, couldn’t believe his eyes as Vanitas placed a hand on his and his brother’s shoulders to keep himself upright. Xemnas and Ansem were just as speechless, glancing at each other as they tried to process what was going on.

Roxas was the first to step forward and placed a hand on his twin’s shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. “Ven, come on. Let him go.”

The moment he tugged on the omega’s shoulder, Ventus threw a fit as he tried his best to stay close to Terra despite his brother pulling him away. He began to scream and cry like a toddler as he desperately tried to pry himself away from his twin, and it took the efforts of both him and his mate to drag Ventus away. Eventually Ventus caved in and let himself hang from Axel’s arms in silence.

“What could have done this?” Vanitas asked as he guided himself to an empty seat next where Eraqus was set.

“Did he suddenly become allergic to the wine?” Sora asked while shrouding behind the silverette. “Because this hasn’t happened before.”

“Doubt it. Terra would live off of the stuff if he could,” Xehanort Jr. piped up while keeping an arm around his mate. “Someone must have tampered with it.”

“Which makes you two are most plausible suspects.” Vanitas threw a scowl towards Xemnas and Ansem, who were taken back at the accusation. Ansem was about to speak until his brother interrupted him. “We have no reason to harm our brother,” He said with a hand placed on his chest. “Check our pockets if you must, but we have nothing on our persons that could have done this.”

“It could have been anyone here,” Ansem’s voice almost rose into a shout as he spoke before pointing a finger at Roxas. “It was probably him. We saw the glares he was giving Terra tonight!”

“Are you out of your mind!?” Roxas gave him a look of disbelief, and Axel had to pull him back from getting himself hurt. “What would I gain from killing my brother’s husband!?”

“Your outburst is rather suspicious.”

“You’re accusing him of killing someone,” Sora stepped in, finally brave enough to let go of Riku’s arm and approach the silverette man with a frown. “How did you think he was going to react!?” Xemnas’s glare was enough to bring fear into the brunette’s eyes and he stepped back with an averted gaze.

“In any case, Roxas didn’t do it,” Vanitas wrapped arms around his twin and petted his hair to calm him down. “Accusing each other isn’t going to find a solution to this, and if there is a culprit, they won’t offer themselves up so easily.”

“Then what do we do!?” Xehanort’s voice was filled with panic as he spoke, not keeping his hands off of the brunette.

“We don’t know,” Riku glanced at the clock with unease before turning back to the group. “It’s getting late, and we don’t know when this storm will let up. Maybe we should get some sleep.”

“He’s right,” Axel scratched the back of his head, finally gaining the courage to let the blonde in his arms go and let Roxas take over. “There’s no point in trying to figure out everything now when we’re all worked up and not thinking straight.”

“But what about Terra? We can’t just leave him here.” Xehanort Jr glanced at his younger brother sadly as he spoke.

“Then we’ll move him somewhere else,” Vanitas spoke once again and thought to himself before turning to his secret lover. “Does this house have a basement?”

“Y-Yeah.” Ventus stammered while wiping his tears with a guilty look on his face.

“Then that settles it,” The silverette beta finally sounded calmer than earlier. “Xemnas and Ansem can take him down there, and we can head upstairs for the night.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Roxas strode over to his twin and helped him to his feet before guiding him and the rest of the party into the hall. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” He asked his twin in a soft tone, noticing how his pheromones were still giving off anxiety.

“I’ll stay with him,” Vanitas interjected with a slightly raised hand and a smile that tried to be comforting. “I think it would be better since I have the neutral pheromones. I don’t think you would help him feel better by being so frantic.”

Roxas couldn’t help but pout at his response, but he was silently admitting that the beta was right. He couldn’t exactly tell how scared he was, and as much as he wanted to be there for his twin, he knew his pheromones wouldn’t help no matter how hard he tried to calm down. He nodded, giving Ventus a comforting peck on the cheek before joining Axel at a doorway and disappearing inside the room.

“Ven, do you want to sleep in your room tonight?” Xehanort Jr asked concerningly. “Or do you not want to because it smells like Terra?”

“N-No. I’ll be alright.” The beta nodded understandingly before carrying Eraqus into another bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Ventus sighed as he and Vanitas entered his bedroom silently, and once the door closed, the ravenette couldn’t help but grin. “Nice acting, Ven. I didn’t expect you to overreact though.”

“I had to make it look realistic.”

Vanitas noticed the unsureness in his voice and looked to see the omega with a troubled look on his face. He sat next to him on the bed, slowly intertwining their fingers with furrowed brows. “What’s wrong?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be instant like that,” Ventus confessed, tightening his hold on the beta’s hand. “It was supposed to be gradual. Like he would be lulled to sleep only he wouldn’t wake up.”

Ventus wasn’t exactly wrong. They were told by the apothecary that the poison would work slowly, first causing the victim to feel dizzy and exhausted before they eventually passed out; it would only take a few moments before the person stopped breathing completely. This wouldn’t be much of a problem as Terra seemed to get drunk very easily, and it would only take a few more drinks after to knock him out completely. They wouldn’t have realized Terra had died until the next morning, and it would have given both Ventus and Vanitas enough time for an alibi and frame Xemnas and Ansem for the murder. The suddenness and swiftness of the death threw off that aspect of their plan, and now they were struggling with what to do next.

Although, Vanitas had a possible answer to why it had happened so fast. “Maybe Xemnas and Ansem actually did do something like we thought. What if they spiked the drink and that sped up the effects?”

Ventus glanced at him with slightly widened eyes, having the thought that it might make sense given how violently Terra had died. He was confident he wasn’t lied to when he was told it would be a peaceful death, but if something was added, then it would explain the reaction he saw from the brunette. The blonde lowered his gaze as he felt Vanitas wrap arms around him and place a gently kiss on the side of his neck. “We’ll be okay, Ven.”

The omega cupped his cheek with a calm smile, nuzzling him with a soft purr in his throat before pecking his lips sweetly and pulling away to undress for the night. Vanitas merely stayed on the bed and watched in amusement, getting a brief eyeful of Ventus’s ass before glancing back at the nape of his neck, untouched skin that would normally sport a bonding mark given to him by the alpha if he actually cared enough to do it. If their relationship wasn’t supposed to be a secret, Vanitas would have wasted no time in biting the nape and finalizing his courtship with the omega. It was something important to Ventus, and the fact that he wasn’t bitten just further proved to him that Terra didn’t love him or love him as much as Ventus wanted him to.

Vanitas stripped down to his boxers before climbing under the sheets with the blonde, sighing contently at the feeling of Ventus snuggling up to him with closed eyes. “I’ve waited 3 years for this.”

Ventus nodded in agreement with a nuzzle, relaxing his shoulders as he felt the beta’s arms wrap around him and pull him close. Falling asleep in Vanitas’s arms was something he had always dreamed of. The ravenette stroked his hair gently with half-lid eyes and kissed the top of his head, the sound of the rain outside began to be more soothing than frightening, and somehow, they felt at peace despite there being a dead body in the house. The two of them almost didn’t realize that the frantic pheromones that had suffocated the house had all but completely disappeared, but they didn’t mind it all too much. As long as the rest of their plan went well, then they had nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter because I didn't exactly know how to fully write out everyone's reactions, but I think I did a pretty okay job. This fic wasn't planned out to be a long one, so the ending should be here in another few chapters or so. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Ventus woke the next morning, the rain was still pouring outside, but for some odd reason, he felt content being in Vanitas’s arms. He didn’t know how long it had been since he was held, but he didn’t care. But Ventus knew their plan wasn’t over just yet, and he knew if he wanted everything to go well, he’d have to move. He sat up, earning a groan from the beta, and got out of bed to step towards the dresser. “You don’t want to raise suspicion, do you? We’re not done.”

“Yeah, I know,” Vanitas yawned before he stood up and stretched, clearly satisfied with the sleep he’s had. He made his way towards the blonde and wrapped arms around him with a nuzzle to his cheek. “You know what to do?”

“Yeah.”

Ventus pecked his cheek before pulling on a shirt and pants before going to the door and pausing. He had to admit he was nervous about what could go down. He could tell that the beta was nervous because of his pheromones. There was a knock on the door, and Ventus opened it to reveal both Sora and Roxas giving him worried glances. “Everything okay?” Sora asked. “My brother didn’t cause any trouble?”

“We’re fine, Sor,” The ravenette piped up while brushing himself off, stepping over to the three of them and giving his twin a light pat on the shoulder. “Are you okay? You still seem a bit shaken up.”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Sora smiled, but his tone said otherwise, and it caused Vanitas to frown as a result. The four of them stepped into the hall silently, waiting to see the reaction they would get from the rest of the group. While the pheromones weren’t as intense as they were the night before, they were still faintly present. What Ventus hoped was he could get Xemnas and Ansem to say the right words to turn the tables against them. He felt Roxas squeeze his hand and give him a comforting nod while Sora gave him a genuine smile.

When they entered the dining room, they were greeted with silence save for the light clanking of silverware. Although, it seemed as though no one was in a mood for eating, the only one who was actually trying to eat was Eraqus. They quietly sat at the table with lowered heads, Ventus glancing around the room to see the reactions that lingered: Xehanort had the most distraught face of the group while Xemnas and Ansem had a look as though they were about to vomit. Xehanort Jr. was picking at his food with a fist lodged in his cheek and half-lid eyes, Riku was deep in thought and Axel had his hands folded with furrowed brows.

“So, are we gonna talk about the elephant in the room?” Riku finally spoke with a sigh.

“What is there to talk about? My dead brother?” Xehanjort Jr. piped up in a monotone voice.

“The other stuff,” Axel responded while a few of his fingers traced his mate’s hairline. “Who killed him, and why?”

“Anyone here could have done it,” Ansem leaned back and crossed his arms, giving a swift gaze towards Ventus. “Even him.”

The blonde’s heart sunk and his eyes widened as he noticed Xemnas giving him the same look. He couldn’t read their faces, so he couldn’t tell if they were giving a suggestion or they knew the truth. He balled his hands into fists and lowered his head in silence, thinking about what to do or what to say: leaving would only further suspect him, and anything that came out of his mouth could be used against him. “W-What makes you think I killed him?”

“A number of reasons,” Xemnas replied. “Perhaps you were unhappy with your marriage, or you found out something he was doing and it upset you. It could be anything,” He relaxed his shoulders with a sigh. “Although, that’s very unlikely. You never gave off that vibe. Annoyed at times, yes, but not unhappy. However, you are still a suspect.”

“And you’re not?” Roxas lifted an eyebrow with a scowl. “Everyone here is a suspect. There’s no point in saying you’re not.”

“I agree,” Xehanort finally spoke for the first time since the death. “I’m not the one who killed my son, but that alone won’t make you believe me. However, I want justice, and whoever killed him will pay.”

“It’s not like we’ll be able to call the police anytime soon,” Axel stood from the table to step towards the window. “The rain is coming down too hard to properly see anything, so chances are, something could happen to them in the way here.”

“Then what should we do?” Sora lowered his gaze and held Riku’s hand for comfort.

“There’s no use in just sitting here pointing fingers at each other,” The silverette beta stood from his chair, his face now calmer than it previously was. “We have to think and find out who killed Terra and why. It’s better than sitting here in fear. And I think Vanitas is the best choice for how to handle our situation.”

“Me?” Vanitas lifted a confused eyebrow in disbelief. “Why me?”

“For one thing, you’re a beta, so you wouldn’t have an emotional bias unlike the rest of us,” Riku responded. “Two, aside from meeting with Terra a couple times, you have no real connection or relation to the family at all. The rest of us are either blood related or friends with him. We know him so well, any of us could have killed him.”

“I’d feel a lot better if it was you.” Eraqus breathed out, finally smiling for once as he gently trailed his thumb along his swollen abdomen.

“I agree. Who to trust better than the person who has no connection?” Ansem smirked in approval. “Out of all of us, you especially wouldn’t have a reason to kill him. You don’t know him like we do.”

 _That’s what you think._ Ventus thought to himself, concealing the grin that almost appeared on his face as the others murmured in agreement.

Vanitas scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a chuckle. “Well, I guess we should head somewhere else for the meeting. No good to talk about death at the dinner table.”

The tone wasn’t as light-hearted as they wanted, but it was enough for all of them to eat a plate or two. Afterwards, the group made their way to circle around the center table in the living room for the discussion. Vanitas had a notepad and pen in his fingers as he sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Alright, since Sora, Riku, and I were the first to arrive, we can safely say that no one left the lounge when everyone was arriving at 8 pm.”

“Sounds about right,” Axel replied. “And everyone was together when we went into the dining hall. No one left then either.”

“Which only means the only time it could have happened was before everyone arrived or until after dinner,” Xehanort turned his head towards the blonde in thought. “Ventus, what were you doing before we arrived?”

Ventus blushed furiously and coughed as a result, rubbing one of his arms with a lowered head, and the group immediately understood what he was conveying. “I didn’t want to do it if you guys showed up early and were waiting around. I didn’t want to be rude, and yet he still coaxed me into a round.”

“And what time was that?”

He felt embarrassed at the question and held his face in his hands with a light groan. Roxas patted him on the back for comfort with an empathetic look in his eyes. Ventus sighed and leaned into his twin’s touch. “I’m not sure. 7:10, I think. We got to the main hall at 7:45.”

“And you didn’t go anywhere else?”

“Terra left for a minute. He said something about opening the wine cellar,” It’s not like Ventus was actually lying to them either. Terra normally kept the wine cellar locked unless it was for occasion, and he always had the key on him at all times as a result. “And then that’s when you guys showed up.”

Vanitas scribbled down the times before glancing at everyone once again. “Now, the real question: where was everyone before Mr. Xehanort called us all for a drink?”

“Riku, Jr., Eraqus, and I were playing pool upstairs,” Axel raised a hand with half-lid eyes. “None of us left until we were called.”

“My two sons and I were already in the lounge,” Xehanort responded. “Neither of them went anywhere.”

“Rox, Ven, and I were talking here,” Sora piped up from Riku’s side and pointed towards the entryway into the hall. “The wine cellar is right there, so we would have seen someone go to it.”

“And that leaves me talking with Terra upstairs.” Vanitas sighed. “Until we were called, no one had entered the cellar before Xemnas and Ansem. And since the cellar was locked before we arrived, Ven didn’t have a way to get in, so we have no idea how someone could have tampered with the wine. And until we find out the truth, those two are our most plausible suspects.”

“If I may,” Ansem interjected. “With all of this in mind, I feel like we’re missing a possible cause for Terra’s death.”

“And that is?” Eraqus lifted an eyebrow confusingly before shrugging his shoulders at his mate. Ventus swiftly shifted his eyes towards the ravenette before looking back towards the alphas before anyone could notice. Xemnas nodded to his brother with a stern gaze before speaking.

“What if it was suicide?”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The group thought to themselves after Xemnas’s question, but Ventus was slightly panicking. Having it be played off as a suicide was a smart tactic, and in return, it could free the witnesses from the crime. The only problem was there was no indication of Terra ever being suicidal, so it would take a large effort into making it believable. Ventus didn’t know if it was an actual suggestion or the brothers were hiding something. He crossed his arms with a frown, listening to the others mutter to themselves, not convinced of the alpha’s words. “I mean, we can’t exactly rule it out, but I find it unlikely,” Riku spoke with a lowered gaze.

“I know he could have just pretended to hide his real feelings, but he didn’t give off that vibe.” Roxas continued with a finger to his chin.

“Not to mention, his pheromones would have told us that,” Xehanort Jr was deep in thought. “If he wasn’t happy, we would have known it. I don’t think there’s a way to naturally alter pheromones.”

“Knowing our brother, he could find a way.” Ansem responded with crossed arms as he leaned back into his seat with a lifted eyebrow.

“It could be possible considering our alibis,” Vanitas scribbled in the notepad and brought the pen to his lips, glancing back at the alphas with an unconvinced gaze. “However, that doesn’t clear your name.”

“We’re aware of this,” Xemnas couldn’t help but glare at the beta. “However, we don’t appreciate being accused of our brother’s death. If you truly want to know, then check our things, and that will tell you we are innocent.”

“He does have a point.” Sora commented while shifting in his seat nervously, and Riku squeezed his shoulder to soothe him.

“Why don’t we check everyone’s stuff?” Eraqus suggested with a half-smile. “That way, we can see if despite the alibis, something of theirs was used for the murder.”

“I have no objections.” Xehanort chimed in for once, obviously silent as he preferred to observe the situation.

“To make it fair, the searches should be done by dynamic,” Vanitas set down the notepad and pen before he stood. “The alphas check each other bags, the betas check theirs, and the omegas check theirs.”

“That makes me feel better,” Ventus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Even though we all know each other, I’d rather not have alphas rummaging through my things.”

“Same with omegas.” The blonde shrouded at Xemnas’s scowl and scooted closer to his twin as a result. After a nod of agreement, they separated into three groups, and the omegas headed into one of the guest rooms where their bags were neatly stacked against the wall.

Roxas crossed his arms with a tilted head. “So, are we checking bags one at a time or no?”

“I don’t think it matters who checks whose bag,” Sora stepped towards his bag with a slight smile, unzipping it and pulling it open before stepping away, gesturing to the other three that he had nothing to hide. He held his hands behind his back as he watched the three of them look through every pocket and bag, going so far as to empty the luggage entirely to make sure they didn’t miss anything. After a half hour, they placed everything back where it belonged and nodded to the brunette to close the bag. “Era’s next.”

Eraqus blushed with an averted gaze as he pulled his bag out from the wall, taking the zipper in his hand before hesitating. Roxas lifted a confused eyebrow and reached out his hand. “Eraqus?”

“Well, I shouldn’t feel embarrassed since it’s you,” He sighed before opening the zipper and allowing the others inside. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, perking up when Sora made a noise. The ravenette omega shrouded away when they gave him a look of disbelief as Sora held a few wrapped condoms between his middle and index fingers. Eraqus sighed with a blush. “I’m five months pregnant, my hormones are all over the place, and I can go from angry to horny faster than you can say heat. And Jr.’s never satisfied after one round.”

“We weren’t even gonna ask, but okay.”

The response only darkened Eraqus’s blush, and he hid his face in his hands with a groan as they searched the rest of his bag. Once they deduced the ravenette wasn’t hiding anything, they closed it and moved onto Roxas’s bag. Roxas only shrugged as he stepped aside to allow the search. After a few minutes, he heard Ventus call out to him, and the moment he turned his head, a furious blush grew on his face. Ventus held out a small, pink vibrator in the palm of his hand and held it out to his twin while Sora and Eraqus gave him questioning glances. Roxas’s eyes filled with confusion and anger as he balled his hands into fists. “That knothead! When did he sneak that in there!?”

“How did you not know it was there? You spent the night.” Roxas only growled at the brunette before he turned on his heel and huffed his breath.

After closing his bag, the four of them nodded to each other, concluding there was nothing suspicious, which put them at ease but also made them wary about what could have caused Terra’s death. Maybe it was suicide and Terra was only hiding it, or something was going on and it was stopping any of them from figuring something out. Ven pursed his lips and frowned, having a feeling something was about to wrong and he needed to make sure Vanitas was on the same page.

They sat patiently at the lounge, waiting for the others to return, and soon after, Vanitas and Xehannort Jr. entered the room silently, both shrugging to tell them there was nothing in their bags that could have been the culprit. Eraqus sighed in relief and held onto his mate’s arm in content as Ventus gave the ravenette beta a glance, which was followed by a nod.

Ten minutes later, the alphas returned, and Roxas couldn’t help but glare furiously at the red-head’s sheepish smile. “Did you find anything?” Sora piped up as Riku plopped next to him.

“Nothing,” Xehanort took his seat at the head of the room and folded his hands. “Nothing in anyone bags looked off or unusual. It’s making me think suicide is the only possible answer to this.”

“That’s all fine and well, but there are still things we don’t know,” Vanitas interjected. “For one thing, we don’t know what was used, and secondly, where did it go?”

The question had Ventus further believe Xemnas and Ansem did something to the wine. After the deed was done, Vanitas put the vial in a small box and hid it under a bush in the small garden behind the house. It was somewhere Ventus knew for a fact no one else knew about; he didn’t even think Terra knew about it. He just had to figure out what they did. “What if we checked the house? Something must be hidden.” He noticed Xemnas and Ansem slightly tense up at the words while the others were nodding to each other.

Vanitas smiled at the blonde and stood up. “I agree. We should search the house for any potential hiding spots.”

“If there’s something in the house, wouldn’t Ventus be the most plausible suspect?”

“For the last time, I didn’t kill my husband.” Ventus sighed with a lowered head.

“That’s true, but who’s to say someone else hid something in the house?” Riku spoke up with an averted gaze. “If we’re under the assumption that Terra’s death was suicide, he would have also been a viable candidate to hiding something. Whatever that is, we don’t know.”

“You have a point,” Xehanort Jr. thought for a moment before his eyes widened slightly. “What if the wine was tampered before we all got here? Terra’s the only one with the key to the cellar, so he could have done it at any time and hidden it somewhere.”

“So he did commit suicide,” Ansem stood as he responded, looking at the other guests with a deadpan gaze. “With that in mind, the case is closed.”

“Hold it right there,” Axel interjected while raising his hand. “We’re only speculating that Terra killed himself. We don’t know for sure.”

“Then why don’t we look for clues,” Sora suggested with a nervous smile. “If Terra was suicidal, wouldn’t he leave some sort of note?”

“Normally, yes. That might be a good start,” Eraqus smiled while clapping his hands together. “Where should we look first?”

“Let’s look for where Terra is the most,” Vanitas turned to the blonde next to him. “Ven, where does Terra normally go?”

Ventus placed a finger to his chin to think, humming to himself with an averted gaze. “There are three places I know he hangs out. He’s either in the living room, the attic, or in the bedroom. If he’s somewhere else, he’s never there for long.”

“Then that’s where we’re start,” Xemnas began to make his way towards the entrance to the hall before turning to the other guests. “Ansem, Father, and I will check his bedroom. That’s usually where suicide notes are hidden. The rest of you choose among yourselves.” With that, the three alphas exited the lounge and disappeared out of sight.

Ventus turned to the others with a worried look before balling his hands in his fists. “There’s something else I haven’t thought about, but I wonder if the note is on him,” He swallowed a breath and shut his eyes tightly. “Maybe if we could-,”

“Ven, we’re not gonna let you do that to yourself,” Riku reassured him. “Axel and I will check him.”

“I’ll go with you,” Xehanort Jr. offered before looking back to the omegas and Vanitas. “Sora, Roxas, and Eraqus can check the living room, and Ven and Vanitas can check the attic.”

Once Ven and Vanitas were alone in the attic, they waited for a moment before taking their time searching. “We need to watch Xemnas and Ansem,” Vanitas was the one to speak first as he rummaged through a box. “What they’re saying is proof they’re planning something.”

“Problem is, I don’t know if they’re being serious or not,” Ventus glanced at the window, barely able to see anything outside because of the rain. “We can’t let them catch on and ruin everything.”

He heard a few footsteps coming towards him, and he barely had enough time to turn around before soft lips were pressed against his. Vanitas held the back of his head with one hand and intertwined his fingers with Ventus’s in the other. Ventus cupped the beta’s cheek, fingers trailing along his jaw as his shoulders relaxed. When they pulled away, Vanitas nuzzled the side of his neck with closed eyes. “It’ll be fine, Ven. We’ve been planning this for weeks now.”

“Yeah. I know,” Ventus pulled him in for a hug, a determined glint resting in his gaze as he rested his head on the other’s shoulder with half-lid eyes. The two stood in silence, listening to the rain outside as low thunder rumbled around them. Ventus noticed that Vanitas’s heartbeat had quickened slightly, although he knew it wasn’t from excitement. He lifted his head as lightning flashed outside, and during that flash, the look in the ravenette’s eyes had transformed from confidence to fear. Ventus’s eyes widened as Vanitas cupped his face, and he leaned into the touch. “We’ll be okay, Vani. We got this.”

Vanitas pulled him into another kiss, most of his fear dissipated as Ventus’s words were enough of an attempt to soothe his nerves. The plan was going well, so neither of them should have any worries about any other obstacles to come their way.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ventus and Vanitas made another quick sweep around the attic before heading back to the lounge, disappointed but not surprised that they haven’t found anything of interest. Both of them knew the older alpha brothers were planning something, and they felt it was their job to figure out what it was. What they had decided was to head to the wine cellar to see if anything seemed out of the ordinary. Ventus questioned why no one had thought about looking there for clues when there were fingers being pointed at Xemnas and Ansem for the crime, although he had a feeling they somehow drifted their minds away from it.

After checking to see that no one was in the lounge, Ventus peered inside the wine cellar with a lifted eyebrow, noticing that everything was exactly where it should be. He glanced around with furrowed brows and an annoyed gaze looking through the cracks in the walls and behind the rack. He bit his thumb with a glare. “Come on, I know you both did something. Where is it?”

There was a twinkle from the corner of his eye, and he jerked his head to noticed a small shiny object in the corner next to the furnace. With a lifted eyebrow, he stepped closer to see a small, glass vial that had been emptied completely with a few cracks encasing it. Placing a glove on his hand, he slowly picked it up, thinking to himself he knew where he and Vanitas hid their vial. A grin slowly widened across his cheek, jumping up and down in place with a giggle for a moment before immediately sighing and copying his twin’s usual deadpan look. Ventus turned on his heel and stepped out of the cellar, winking at Vanitas before they entered the lounge, surprised to see that no one else had arrived.

The others slowly started to file in more confused than ever, although Xemnas and Ansem’s faces were unreadable. They sat around the table as Vanitas took his normal place at the head, gazing over the rest of the group with half-lid eyes before stopping at Ventus for a brief moment before speaking. “Did anyone find anything?”

Ventus opened his mouth to speak before a voice interjected him. “Yes, and I think this is further proof no one killed our brother and it was something none of us could regrettably control.” Ansem unfolded a crumpled piece of paper, causing everyone’s eyes to widen immensely as he placed it at the center of the table for them to read.

_To who it may concern,_

_I’m sorry it had to come to this. I’m sorry to everyone I let down. To my father, I thought marrying Ventus would be a way to make you happy, but it has only been a burden to me, and I didn’t want to say it to you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be the son you wanted. To my brothers, I’m sorry for all of the times I had mistreated you. I wish I could have been a better sibling. To my friends, thank you for the times we shared, but I refuse to let you continue to pity me. I felt this was the right thing to do._

_To Ventus, my sweet, beautiful, darling, little omega. I hope you can forgive me for leaving you like this. I believed I wasn’t the right mate for you, and it tortured me inside thinking you would have been better off with someone else instead of me. I know you loved me dearly, and for that, I’m grateful. You were a light in my life; however, these past seven years have been strenuous on me, and I didn’t want to worry you. I love you so much, and I wish we were able to spend the rest of our lives together._

_I’m sorry, and goodbye._

_Terra_

There was silence in the room as everyone processed the note with pursed lips and worried glances: Xemnas and Ansem had stern expressions as they averted their gazes, Xehanort held his head in his hands, wondering where he had failed and why he hadn’t helped Terra to begin with, Xehanort Jr. and Eraqus had no idea what to think, and they looked troubled as a result, Riku and Axel kept their heads lowered with furrowed brows, Vanitas looked unconvinced, and Sora and Roxas were deep in thought.

Ventus knew the note was fake. Nothing in the note had told him it was from the brunette. He opened his mouth to protest before he stopped himself. How would he be able to convince them it was forged? If he couldn’t give evidence, it would make him look like a bigger suspect. He balled his hands into fists and glanced at the note again. “Where did you find this?” He asked with shaky breaths.

“It was in your bedroom.”

“Show me.”

Ansem led Ventus upstairs with Roxas tailing behind them to give his twin some comfort. Ventus held his doubtful gaze as Roxas intertwined their fingers with worry. They followed the alpha into the master bedroom and he stepped towards the nightstand where the middle drawer was opened completely. “This is where we found it,” He explained. “What else is there to say?”

“It’s sorta weird how he would put it there,” Roxas observed with a lifted eyebrow. “If he wanted to throw it away, he would have thrown it in the trash can.”

“Perhaps he wasn’t thinking.”

Ventus hummed to himself with half-lid eyes. “You can go back to the others. I want to be alone for a minute.”

Ansem nodded, thinking he needed a moment before turning on his heel and stepping into the hall. He noticed that Roxas wasn’t behind him and lifted an eyebrow at the blonde. Roxas had leaned against the doorway with crossed arms and a lowered head, although his gaze was still on his brother. Ansem held an unsure gaze before heading back to the lounge.

Roxas peered in the room to see his brother rummaging through the desk with a determined look on his face, and he started to grow concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Something doesn’t add up.” Ventus responded as he searched though a small box of envelopes before muttering a curse to himself.

“Are you sure? I think the note was proof enough.”

“No, it’s not. That note doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel sincere,” Ventus paused while gripping the box. “It doesn’t sound like something Terra would say, especially to me.”

“So, you’re saying they faked the note?” Roxas lifted an eyebrow as he responded. “How would you prove that?”

Ventus ignored him as he continued searching through the desk drawers until his eyes beamed. A grin appeared on his face as he pulled out two envelopes and held them up proudly. “Aha!” He held them close before darting out of the room, briefly giving his brother a smile. “We can end this right now!”

“What did you find?” Roxas asked as he followed him through the hall.

“I’ll tell you with the others, but right now, we have a case to solve!” He couldn’t help but giggle happily as he quickly stepped down the hall with his confused twin at his side. At last, he found a way to rearrange his plan perfectly and turn the tables. There was excitement in his step, and he had to force a frown back on his face to calm him down. He stopped, took a deep breath, and sighed, finally feeling some sort of relief wash over him.

At long last, it can finally come to an end.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ventus almost barged into the lounge sporting a loud glare, almost startling the rest of the party as a result. Although, the glare held satisfaction as he practically slammed his hands on the table, and he couldn’t stop a smile from growing on his face. “I figured it out,” He declared proudly. “We can solve this mystery now and end this.”

“What did you find, boy?” Xehanort asked enthusiastically with a lifted eyebrow.

“Truth be told, I found something in the wine cellar, and I was about to say so until Ansem brought up the supposed suicide note.” Ventus gave him a quick glare before looking back at the letters.

“What do you mean supposed?” Riku crossed his arms unconvinced. “That the note is fake?”

“It is fake,” Roxas spoke up and held up the note in one hand and a letter in the other. “It’s not in Terra’s handwriting. This is a letter written by Terra to a friend of his. The handwriting on the note doesn’t match.”

Xehanort Jr. grabbed both from the blonde and eyed them carefully with pursed lips as Eraqus peered over his shoulder. “He’s right,” He replied as the beta placed them back on the table. “Similar, but they don’t match.”

“Then who wrote the note?” Vanitas crossed his arms and gave Ventus a quick glance. “Maybe it was you?”

“No way. Not my handwriting,” Ventus pulled out a folded piece of paper, a letter he wrote to his parents a few days before. “Doesn’t match.”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Axel shrugged. “The one who wrote it was the one who found it to begin with.”

“Are you accusing us?” Xemnas glared at the alpha, a growl almost emitting in his tone, although Axel didn’t back down from his claim. Sora held onto his mate tightly with a fearful gaze as the tension slowly rose in the air. Both Vanitas and Riku frowned as they turned to the two blondes for clarification to see if Axel was possibly right.

Roxas nodded to him and pulled out another letter. “You can drop the façade,” He spoke calmly with half-lid eyes. “It was you.”

“What makes you think it was him!?” Ansem stood to his feet in anger.

“The handwriting matches,” Ventus replied with a scowl. “And Terra can’t copy other people’s handwriting. Trust me, he’s tried. So, the only conclusion is that Xemnas wrote a fake suicide note to cover up his brother’s murder.”

The tension in the air was so great, it was suffocating, and everyone turned to the alpha with wide eyes. Sora and Eraqus scooted away in fear, and Xehanort Jr. had backed away cautiously. Axel quickly shifted his gaze at the window and noticed the rain was beginning to let up, keeping a hand clutched around his pocketed phone. Riku and Vanitas almost got to their feet, and Xehanort’s heart was filled with dread, hoping what Ventus claimed wasn’t true.

However, Xemnas kept his position and glanced at the blonde. “I have a question for you, Ventus. What makes you think I killed my brother?”

“That was what I was going to show until your brother spoke up,” Ventus reached into his pocket and pulled out the empty vial from the wine cellar, and Ansem’s face paled at the sight. “I found this hidden in the wine cellar, and I’m assuming this is what was used to kill Terra.”

“But what makes you think it’s ours!?” Ansem asked becoming more frantic and annoyed. “What if Terra put it there!?”

“Now that you mention it, I think I saw something similar in their luggage,” Riku observed before he got to his feet. “Hang on, I’ll go get it.”

“No!”

Xemnas outstretched his arm, but Riku was already out of the room. The rest of the group was surprised at his outburst and that only made them more suspicious. Xehanort gave his son a look of disbelief. “Xemnas, please don’t tell me it’s true,” He croaked. “Tell me he’s wrong.”

“He is wrong, Father,” Ansem glared at the two omegas as he responded with a growl. “They’re making it up.”

“Are they?” Vanitas lifted an eyebrow. “The handwriting on the note and the letter seem to match, and you and your brother were the last ones in the wine cellar before Ven.”

“What if Ventus put it there?”

“Doubtful,” Eraqus interjected. “That vial looked like it was there for a while. Ven couldn’t have put it there earlier.”

“The fact that you guys are doing a poor job of explaining yourself is only telling us you did it.” Sora piped up with a nod.

Riku returned a moment later with his hand clutched tightly around a small item. He stepped to Ventus’s side and held it out for everyone to see, noting that the two vials were identical, although one was full. “I think there’s your answer.”

“You killed our brother,” Xehanort Jr. said in disbelief and turned to them with wide eyes. “Why?”

“He’s your family.” Their father spoke with a breathy voice, slight tears in his eyes.

Ansem lowered his head with clenched fists and gritted teeth, trying to keep himself from lashing out. “Our brother is a scumbag,” He responded coldly. “The way he treats omegas is sickening, and I’m not surprised how he got a blind idiot to marry him,” He shot a scowl towards the blonde omega. “How could you allow what he’s done to you?! You should be grateful for what we did! You should be thanking us for getting you out of this hell hole you call a marriage!”

“Axel.” Roxas gently called out.

“On it.” Axel nodded as he stepped out of the room with his phone to his ear.

“Ventus, please understand we did this for your sake,” Xemnas spoke calmly unlike his brother. “As for why we resorted to murder, no omega should go through what you’ve been through. We see through your fake smiles. If you want something off of your chest, please tell us.”

Ventus’s eyes were wide as he went still. A sad gaze replaced his shocked expression and he lowered his head to the floor. “I didn’t appreciate what he’s done. I’ll admit, I was the only one putting any effort in the marriage, but even so,” He lifted his head to face the two silverette alphas, tears swelling in his eyes. “I loved Terra. I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember. Even after everything, I never wanted him dead, so for you to tell me you did me a favor is disgusting and insulting.”

“What!?”

“Calm down, brother.” Xemnas held back the other alpha as he stomped towards the blonde. Roxas and Riku stepped in front of the omega to shield him and everyone else got to their feet, ready to defend the three of them if necessary.

An hour later, police cars and an ambulance had arrived on scene, and the group briefly explained to the detective what had happened the night before. Each of them gave their alibis, although it was hard for Ventus to speak as he was sobbing in relief because they had finally arrived. He watched them wheel Terra’s body away in a stretcher, eyebrows furrowing as it was loaded into the ambulance, and he grinned internally as he watched Xemnas and Ansem forced into the back of a police cruiser with Ansem still shouting that something was wrong and they were framed. Xehanort merely stood at the doorway in disappointment and anger, scowling at the two as they were escorted away.

After another hour and a half of information, the police and ambulance disappeared, leaving the rest of the group in the main lobby. Xehanort Jr. turned to his father with a concerned gaze. “Father, are you alright?” He asked.

“I think I’ll be alright eventually,” Xehanort gave the beta a comforting smile. “Although, I’m sad to see my sons tearing each other apart this way. This isn’t what I wanted.”

“Do you feel at ease?” Axel asked with a hand around Roxas’s shoulders.

Xehanort sighed as a response. “Yes and no. I’m glad to find out who Terra’s murderer is, but I still find it unbelievable that his own flesh and blood caused this. I wonder where I went wrong.”

“You did your best as any parent would,” Eraqus comforted with a soft gaze. “They chose to do this. You had nothing to do with it.”

“I guess you’re right,” The elder stepped forward and grasped the door handle before turning back to the others. “We should be on our way home.”

“Actually, I want to stay here for a bit,” Xehanort Jr. gave him a small wave. “We’ll get a ride home, don’t worry.” Xehanort nodded before he stepped out into the light rain, and the door slowly closed behind him.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments, watching the headlights of the car turn on and slowly avert their gaze away from the house. Once the red glow of the taillights had vanished, Ventus turned to the others with a wide grin.

“Job well done, everyone.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A sigh of relief washed over the group as they smiled and relaxed their shoulders at Ventus’s confirmation. Vanitas couldn’t help but grin as he strode towards the blonde and tightly wrapped his arms around him with glee, pecking his cheek repeatedly as the omega giggled as a response. Ventus had to slightly push him away to speak again. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t fully sure if this plan would work.”

“It didn’t go exactly as planned, but we got the end result,” Riku replied with a smirk as he kept an arm around Sora. “Although, it was sorta hard to keep up the act when they were trying to put it on suicide.”

“I was trying not to laugh when Xemnas said that,” Vanitas snorted. “Suicide, really? We’ve all been around Terra for as long as we can remember, and he hasn’t once been shown to be suicidal.”

“And that speech they gave about why they killed him,” Xehanort Jr. spat with a scowl and furrowed brows. “It was a load of bullshit. They’re talking about how terribly Terra treats omegas when they do the exact same thing. It’s disgusting.” He held a firm hand around Eraqus, who lowered his gaze as a result, remembering how the two treated him before he got pregnant.

“It’s not just omegas,” Axel couldn’t help but growl as he tightened his grip on his arms. “After what happened to Saix, I wanted nothing more than the two of them behind bars.” Roxas placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, not wanting him to be reminded of what happened to the blue-haired beta.

“All three of them are just as bad,” Ventus turned to the ravenette omega with concern. “You fainted pretty hard last night, Era. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Eraqus waved his hand with a smile. “Xeha caught me so there was nothing to worry about.”

“If I have one concern,” Sora spoke up from Riku’s side. “I was scared that this wouldn’t work. Or rather, we did this all for nothing.”

“What do you mean?” Vanitas asked with a lifted eyebrow.

“I mean, since last night, I kept thinking that they’re fooling us. I keep thinking that Terra is still alive and he’s just waiting to reveal it.” Sora averted his gaze with a whimper.

“With two different poisons in his body, there’s no way he would be alive,” Xehanort Jr. responded with crossed arms. “Although, I’ll admit. I didn’t expect them to bring poison of their own. That’s what caused our plans to change.”

“They almost had us, I won’t lie,” Roxas sighed with a smile before turning to his twin. “But I’m glad it’s finally over. I won’t have to worry about you as often as I did.”

“And I won’t have to worry about you being a homewrecker.” Sora piped up more cheerfully.

“Speaking of, when are you two telling your folks?” Axel asked with a lifted eyebrow. “They’re gonna find it weird that you immediately got with someone after your husband died.”

Ventus and Vanitas turned to each other with half-lid eyes, realizing they hadn’t exactly thought of the future save for a few ideas. Ventus clutched the ravenette’s shoulders while deep in thought, tilting his head slightly with pursed lips. “I was thinking…we should let this pass for a while before telling anyone. We’re not gonna like it, but it’ll throw off any suspicion.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Vanitas couldn’t help but frown, and Ventus kissed his cheek for comfort.

“You could stay at our place for the time being,” Roxas offered. “I know you don’t want to stay in this house by yourself. What are you planning on doing with it?”

“Well,” Ventus placed a hand on his chin. “If what Xehanort said is true, then I can basically do whatever I want with it. Of course, I plan on selling it since I never wanted it to begin with. Xehanort was the one who picked out the house for the two of us. I also keep whatever money I get from it, and hopefully it’ll be enough for Vani and I to get a place together. I hope. But I can stay at your place until then. Just don’t treat me like a third wheel.”

“No promises.” Axel smirked, and both twins couldn’t help but sigh. The main hall burst into collective giggles and laughter, feeling the previous tension fade away and be replaced with happiness. They found it ironic how they were celebrating someone’s arrest and another person’s murder, although there was no other way to describe how they felt; Putting Terra in prison would only give him an opportunity to repeat his actions, although they knew putting Xemnas and Ansem in prison would take everything away from them since they would be charged with a life sentence. Axel especially hoped his friend’s case could be brought up again to give Xemnas more time, but for now, everyone was glad the two were behind bars.

A sniffle broke through the laughter, and everyone turned to see tears streaming down Ventus’s cheeks and he started sobbing on the spot. Roxas immediately left Axel’s side and went to comfort his twin with a concerned gaze, wondering where it came from. Vanitas traced gentle circles across his back as he tried to soothe him. “What’s wrong, Ven?” He asked with caution.

Ventus glanced at him with a breathy chuckle, tears still pouring down his face despite the smile he wore. He rubbed his eyes with another sniff. “Sorry,” He choked out. “I just can’t believe it’s finally over.”

Everyone smiled as a response as Vanitas held him close, petting his hair to shush him to no avail. He was allowed to cry for real and not hide his feelings, he was allowed to be more open to others, he was allowed to let go of his worries.

Because it was finally over.

* * *

Terra’s funeral was quieter than Ventus expected. There were a few other groups of friends and family, so it was a little bigger than he wanted. His parents consulted him during the visitation and while he wasn’t sad, he had to force out a few tears to make it look convincing. At first, it was only the family who was allowed to see the alpha, and Roxas and Axel were also included because they were the in-laws. Roxas scowled at the coffin and Axel held his hand for comfort.

Ventus however, was more nervous. He thought about what Sora had said a week ago, and he gazed at the brunette with furrowed brows, scared that his eyes would pop open and reveal that he was alive. The image caused him to shudder, and he noticed his mother squeezing his shoulder. “This must be hard,” She spoke softly. “I know how much you loved him.”

“Yeah.” Ventus muttered with a lowered head as another tear ran down his face. He leaned against her with half-lid eyes, hearing the rest of the group file in behind them. He sort of felt bad for his parents being led by a lie. He wouldn’t know how they would react if they knew the truth, but to him, the lie was better for them to believe, and the police and autopsy reports backed it up to a T. He had to admit it would have been a lot harder if Xemnas and Ansem didn’t try to kill their brother, and there would be more suspicion about the murder. Despite the guilt, he knew the lie was better than the truth.

The service wasn’t long, and it was greatly appreciated by everyone there, especially those who had witnessed Terra’s death themselves. They stayed for the entire service, right up to when the coffin was lowered into the grave. They watched with caution as dirt slowly began to cover it until the coffin was buried completely.

And finally, a weight was lifted from Ventus’s shoulders.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The first smell Vanitas noticed the second he walked into the house had almost caused him to fall back. The scent had permeated the entire first floor, but it didn’t take long for the ravenette to figure out why. He quickly slipped his shoes off, discarded his jacket onto the couch before stepping upstairs. The scent seemed to grow to a point where he almost felt like he was suffocating, but he endured it, anything to get to the blonde in question. Vanitas held his breath for a moment before opening the bedroom door and peering inside.

Ventus was curled up in the center of a carefully-crafted nest that was in the middle of the bed. His head rested against a couple pillows and was facing the window, legs spread wide on each side of the nest, fingers stretching him open, and a hand furiously stroking him. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth and he arched when he hit a certain spot.

Vanitas gently closed the door behind him, and the click caught Ventus’s attention. His eyes widened and he sat up in surprise. “I-I didn’t know when you would be back.” He stammered.

“I just got home,” The ravenette proceeded to unbutton his shirt as he stepped forward with caution, knowing the omega could easily be frightened. “How long were you in heat?”

“S-Since yesterday.” Ventus breathed as he pulled out his fingers and rolled onto his side, nodding to the beta in affirmation to allow him inside the nest.

Vanitas slowly crawled in and wrapped his arms around the blonde, nuzzling him sweetly and trying to coax him to stop whimpering. He pecked his cheek a few times before responding. “So, do you want to cuddle or something else?”

It had been 10 months since Terra’s murder and Ventus had told his parents the news about him and Vanitas the month before. Surprisingly, both parents took it well and were glad to accept Vanitas into the family, but not before telling the two of them the pros and cons of a relationship between a beta and an omega. For the past 9 months, the two continued to hide their courtship, but during that time, they sold the house Terra was murdered in, got a decent amount of money off of it, and used it to buy their own place. However, what they couldn’t do until they told Ventus’s parents was in regards to his heats. It bummed out the two of them, especially if Ventus had to deal with the heats himself or regrettably ask for assistance. There were times when Roxas or even Axel to an extent had to help him out, something Ventus found extremely disrespectful for himself and Roxas even though the couple didn’t mind.

Now that there was no secret, they didn’t have to worry about it. Although, it was the first time he was in heat since they told Ventus’s parents. Vanitas was a little nervous; while he did have sex with Ventus in the past, he never dealt with a heat, only having the bare minimum of info from school. Although, he had some sort of experience when he had to take care of Sora in their teenage years before he was mated to Riku. Even so, he wasn’t fully confident.

Ventus kissed his jaw with half-lid eyes. “I want pups.”

Vanitas’s eyes widened and he glanced down at him. “Ven-”

“I know it’s not a 100% guarantee because you’re not an alpha,” The blonde averted his gaze gently. “But if we try enough, it’ll work. I’ve wanted pups for 8 years, Vani, and he’s never given them to me. Most of the time, he abandoned me or only gave me a round and left. It was awful. But now I can finally get what I want, and it may be hard, but we’ll keep trying.”

“Ven,” Ventus hooked legs around his waist and pulled him closer, breathing hotly in his ear as he slowly began to grind their hips together. Vanitas slightly groaned at the contact and held the blonde’s thighs. “Alright, I’ll put some pups in you.”

Ventus moaned at the response and felt a nip at his ear. Vanitas held him down as he trailed his lips along his neck and jawline as his hands slid up the back of Ventus’s shirt. Ventus tilted his head back with a sigh as the shirt was pulled off of him, and he placed his hands on the beta’s chest to keep himself steady. Vanitas continued to kiss his way down as Ventus was too busy humping his thigh for some sort of relief. Vanitas stuck his tongue out and gently poked at a nipple, causing Ventus to cry out with wide eyes. Both hands grabbed a hold of black locks and held him still as Vanitas pinched the other nipple between his fingers. Ventus panted as a result and pouted, and Vanitas caught wind of this and pulled away. “What?”

“Stop teasing,” Ventus whined with another light thrust. “And touch me.”

Vanitas smirked and hooked his arms under Ventus’s legs and pushed them up, causing the blonde to be on his back. Gentle fingers caressed his thighs before Ventus saw his head bend down to take him whole. He moaned loudly as Vanitas bobbed his head slowly, stopping every once in a while to let his tongue do the work. Ventus was a gasping and moaning mess underneath him, and he barely had a chance to warn Vanitas before his release went straight into the beta’s throat. Vanitas pulled back in surprise and coughed, opening an eye to blink at the shuddering omega, surprised at how short it took him. Ventus stared at him with half-lid eyes with shaky breaths. “Vani.”

“I know,” The beta kissed his cheek sweetly before unhooking his legs and pulling away. The blonde watched contently as Vanitas began to slowly pull down his pants and underwear, shuddering as cool air brushed against his erection, before tossing his pants to a corner of the room. Ventus positioned himself to sit upright and hooked his arms under his knees to lift up his legs, and the ravenette immediately got the message; who knows how long Ventus had been fingering himself, so by that logic, he should already be stretched and ready. Vanitas hovered over him and gave him a soft look. “If you need to adjust, tell me.”

“We’ve done this plenty of times.”

“Yeah I know. Tell me anyway,” He received a nod, and Vanitas took in a breath before slowly pushing in. Both of their eyes flew open and Vanitas almost collapsed on top of him. His head dropped with a low moan as Ventus clung to his shoulders for dear life. “S-Sorry,” Vanitas breathed once he was buried to the hilt, having to hold himself up on his forearms. “I-It’s my first time with an omega in heat. Shit, I never imagined how different it was.”

It was different; it was hotter and much tighter than how it was when Ventus wasn’t in heat. For a second, Vanitas thought he would pass out from the intensity, but he had to shake it off. Ventus needed him, and if Ventus wanted pups, he was giving him pups no matter how many times it took. He just had to pull himself together. He glanced down at the blonde biting the corner of his lip and cupped his face with one hand. “You okay?”

Ventus only moaned as a response, and that was the ravenette’s cue to move. Vanitas kept his head at the omega’s neck as he set a gentle pace for the two of them. Ventus kept his legs around the other’s waist and nipped at his ear as Vanitas kept his hands at his sides. He peppered kisses around Ventus’s neck and collarbone to continue comforting him and making sure he was alright. Ventus only responded by pressing his hips down and they both groaned.

Vanitas held his hip and began to thrust faster, eliciting more delicious sounds from the blonde. Ventus dug his fingers into the ravenette’s shoulders with his head thrown back, a smile plastered on his face as Vanitas was rubbing against all of his sweet spots continuously and he pulled him down for a heated kiss. There were more nips and bites as there were deeper and harder thrusts. Both of them were rocking aggressively against the nest, and Vanitas couldn’t help but appreciate all of the dark purple marks that decorated Ventus’s collarbone and chest, and it boosted his ego. He watched the blonde’s face carefully, seeing it twist in ecstasy and his eyes snap shut.

Although, Vanitas couldn’t help but grin as his eyes widened and a slurred moan escaped his lips, and the beta knew he hit the right spot. He hoisted one of Ventus’s legs over his shoulders and it gave him a deeper angle. Ventus was a sputtering mess and he gripped the sheets underneath him, feeling a familiar pressure build up from inside. Vanitas’s thrusts had lost their rhythm and had gotten more frenzy.

Both of them froze as their hit their climax with gasping breaths and spasming hips. Ventus felt his leg fall from Vanitas’s shoulder before the beta collapsed on top of him, the two still connected. Ventus noticed some semen dripping from his hole and onto the sheets, but he didn’t seem to care, not when Vanitas was kissing his face and petting his hair to stop him from shaking. Whether they conceived or not was a good question, but Ventus didn’t mind as they had the rest of his heat to try. And even so, it wouldn’t be the last time they had the chance.

Vanitas cupped the nape of his neck and trailed his fingers along the newly formed bond mark that was placed there, giving the blonde a warm smile and nuzzling him lovingly. “We’re okay, Ven,” He muttered softly. “We’re okay.”

And for the first time in four years, Ventus truly believed him.


End file.
